Cornelius “Neil” Rogers Wins Worcester’s Best Chef Competition

Chef Cornelius "Neil" Rogers of Volturno Pizza on Shrewsbury Street is Worcester's Best Chef for 2014.

Rogers was tabbed as the competition's winner by a panel of local celebrity judges, beating out more than twenty other local chefs, in his first year of competition.

The event is not only about a healthy competition between culinary experts, but also about benefiting the community. Proceeds from the event benefit culinary students at the Worcester Vocational High School.

Related Slideshow: The Best Chefs in Central Massachusetts

This Sunday, at Mechanic's Hall in Worcester, twenty-two local chefs will be competing in the 2014 Worcester Best Chef Competition. GoLocalWorcester spoke to many of these chefs about their thoughts on the competition, favorite dishes, and more.

We were unable to reach two of the competitors: Ethan Cramer, of Zorba's Taverna, Worcester; and Ken Yokimura, of Sturbridge Seafood, Sturbridge.

Bill Nemeroff

Ceres Bistro

Worcester

“I think that being a chef is in my blood; the lineage of chefs in my family runs deep. As a child, I remember most kids mowing lawns to buy candy and things like that. I was kind of strange; I was using that money for fresh oysters.”

“I have entered every competition since the first. It really is a blast. It’s one of the few times that all of us chefs from the Worcester area can get together and have a good time.”

“I don’t really get the chance to dine out that much; most of my food is eaten at the restaurant. It’s probably for the best because I am one of the biggest food critics out there.”

Cathy Young

EVO

Worcester

-comments from chef/co-owner Albert Maykel

”I have been working with her for about six years now. [Her cooking style] is very comfort-oriented. She is a quick learner and very intelligent in the kitchen. She is a very hard working person and cares about the food that she makes. If she says true to her skills then I think she has a great shot [at the competition].”

Matt Dion

“I went to automotive school; it made me realize how much I liked cooking. It also made me realize what I was good at. From then on, I was able to be a chef with a clear head.”

“I grew up with my father being a chef. I kind up grew up in the industry. I remember peeling 400 potatoes as a kid and as I got older I had different jobs throughout the industry. Cooking was all I knew so it was all I did.”

“Who doesn’t like pork? I also enjoy the process of letting something sit in the fridge for 30 days; it’s a lot of fun. Making your own pasta can be a lot of fun as well.”

Christopher O’Harra

Flying Water Cafe & Watering Hole

Worcester

“I love making soups. It’s a great combination of different flavors. Also, you can turn almost anything into a soup. I remember the first time a customer tried one of my soups and they said that it was great and they would come back for more; from that point on, I was hooked.”

“I absolutely love fresh herbs. You can gear them toward any season. They are a great multipurpose ingredient.”

“I love a good homemade brick-oven pizza, but due to my hours I don’t get to cook at home as much as I would like. My wife is a great cook though; she usually has something good waiting for me when I get home.”

Aleksander Gjonca

Nuovo Restaurant

Worcester

“Being a chef, you have to like and be willing to cook anything. Everyone may have a favorite dish or a specialty, but a great chef can make anything.”

“I don’t see it as a competition; I see it as a gathering. We are coming together to try our best and to be here for the customers. I am proud of us making a day to come together and be there for the community.”

“The best season has to be September and October. The produce, fruits, and fish are at their freshest; it’s all right there. Autumn is the heaven of the year. It’s better to get fresh local ingredients than to have them shipped to you because they aren’t in season.”

Rafael Guzman Cruz

Two Chefs Restaurant & Pastry Shop

Spencer

“I don’t get to make it very often, but I like to make offal and sweet bread. Offal [the internal organs and entrails of an animal] has a more concentrated flavor in the meat than something like steak.”

“It was great to learn how to make pizza dough. It is cool to see how a few simple ingredients will transform into a crispy form of bread. It was the first time I thought about the science behind food.”

“Cooking was a way for me to express myself; I was introverted as a child. The kitchen was a great place because it became my own little world. I really liked cooking with my grandmother as a child; we did a lot of cooking with root vegetables and chicken.”

Bill Bourbeau

“My favorite dish is a big ol’ steak; I’m old fashioned like that: meat and potatoes. I grew up on a farm so we used to eat steaks from our own cows.”

“I’m known for my hot sauces; I’m a huge pepper-head. I love using a lot of hot peppers in my cooking.”

“My first childhood memory would have to be making meatballs in my dad’s kitchen when I was about eight. I also remember being in my 20s out in Michigan. I remember the chef using a lot of fresh and local ingredients which was really inspiring.”

Dean Della Ventura

“I’m kind of an Italian guy when I cook, but I’m a meat and potato guy at heart.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to the competition. I think I have a good opportunity to sweep. There are a lot of young bucks in the competition but I’m ready. It should be a fun time.”

“I remember being in my grandmother’s kitchen. I remember watching her stir the sauce and making the meatballs and the pasta. Occasionally my brother and I would try to sneak a taste and we would end up getting slapped with a wooden spoon.”

Jay Powell

Twisted Fork

Cherry Valley

"If you see me, you will know that I enjoy everything; I'm always willing to try [any food] once. And if I don't like it, I usually try it a second time."

"My favorite season, absolutely, is fall. I have my own garden at the restaurant and at my house and fall is the best time for fresh fruits and vegetables. I also like the fall because all of my spring vegetables have been pickled or preserved. I just love fresh and local ingredients; I try not to use anything with GMOs in it."

"This competition is a great event for all the local chefs. Something Dom [Dominic Mercurio, founder of the event] does well is he brings in kids from the Worcester Vocational High School to help out. For me, it's all about the kids."

Adam Maciejewski

Sweet

Worcester

“I don’t like to do the same thing twice. I think every time I cook is an opportunity to try something new.”

“My favorite season would have to be summer because of all the fresh fruits and veggies; that’s my thing. I also like cooking with animal fats because they have a nice, robust flavor that you can’t get with butter or oil.”

“I was overweight as a kid and there became a time when I didn’t want to eat my mom’s cooking anymore. She told me that if I didn’t want to eat her food I would have to cook myself.”

Mark Ronnquist

”My favorite season, in general, is late summer, specifically late August to early September. Fruits and veggies are readily available and at their best. It really is the best time to be a chef.”

“I’m super excited. This is my 4th year in the competition. Normally chefs are locked in the restaurant, so it is a refreshing change to be in a room among peers. I thrive on competition, as I think most chefs do.”

“My favorite place to eat is at my own dining room table with my two boys and my wife.”

Graciano Machado

Gieseppe’s Grille

Northboro

“I just want to have fun and have a good time. It is a great place to meet people. My main focus in this competition is not to win, just to have fun. This is my first time in this competition and I’m definitely a little nervous.”

“I’m a big seafood guy; anything with seafood is great. The more seafood you can fit on my plate the better.”

“I grew up with my grandmother and she cooked every day, twice a day: lunch and dinner. At one point I decided it was something I wanted to do and I got hooked.”